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Ex-Aide Details a Loss of Faith in the President
By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 1, 2007
AUSTIN, Tex., March 29 In 1999, Matthew Dowd became a symbol of George W. Bushs early success at positioning himself as a Republican with Democratic appeal.
A top strategist for the Texas Democrats who was disappointed by the Bill Clinton years, Mr. Dowd was impressed by the pledge of Mr. Bush, then governor of Texas, to bring a spirit of cooperation to Washington. He switched parties, joined Mr. Bushs political brain trust and dedicated the next six years to getting him to the Oval Office and keeping him there. In 2004, he was appointed the presidents chief campaign strategist.
Looking back, Mr. Dowd now says his faith in Mr. Bush was misplaced.
In a wide-ranging interview here, Mr. Dowd called for a withdrawal from Iraq and expressed his disappointment in Mr. Bushs leadership.
He criticized the president as failing to call the nation to a shared sense of sacrifice at a time of war, failing to reach across the political divide to build consensus and ignoring the will of the people on Iraq. He said he believed the president had not moved aggressively enough to hold anyone accountable for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and that Mr. Bush still approached governing with a my way or the highway mentality reinforced by a shrinking circle of trusted aides.
I really like him, which is probably why Im so disappointed in things, he said. He added, I think hes become more, in my view, secluded and bubbled in.
In speaking out, Mr. Dowd became the first member of Mr. Bushs inner circle to break so publicly with him.
He said his decision to step forward had not come easily. But, he said, his disappointment in Mr. Bushs presidency is so great that he feels a sense of duty to go public given his role in helping Mr. Bush gain and keep power.
Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled Kerry Was Right, arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq.
Im a big believer that in part what were called to do to me, by God; other people call it karma is to restore balance when things didnt turn out the way they should have, Mr. Dowd said. Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election.
Mr. Dowds journey from true believer to critic in some ways tracks the public arc of Mr. Bushs political fortunes. But it is also an intensely personal story of a political operative who at times, by his account, suppressed his doubts about his professional role but then confronted them as he dealt with loss and sorrow in his own life.
In the last several years, as he has gradually broken his ties with the Bush camp, one of Mr. Dowds premature twin daughters died, he was divorced, and he watched his oldest son prepare for deployment to Iraq as an Army intelligence specialist fluent in Arabic. Mr. Dowd said he had become so disillusioned with the war that he had considered joining street demonstrations against it, but that his continued personal affection for the president had kept him from joining protests whose anti-Bush fervor is so central.
Mr. Dowd, 45, said he hoped in part that by coming forward he would be able to get a message through to a presidential inner sanctum that he views as increasingly isolated. But, he said, he holds out no great hope. He acknowledges that he has not had a conversation with the president.
Dan Bartlett, the White House counselor, said Mr. Dowds criticism is reflective of the national debate over the war.
Its an issue that divides people, Mr. Bartlett said. Even people that supported the president arent immune from having their own feelings and emotions.
http://tinyurl.com/2cymcj
By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 1, 2007
AUSTIN, Tex., March 29 In 1999, Matthew Dowd became a symbol of George W. Bushs early success at positioning himself as a Republican with Democratic appeal.
A top strategist for the Texas Democrats who was disappointed by the Bill Clinton years, Mr. Dowd was impressed by the pledge of Mr. Bush, then governor of Texas, to bring a spirit of cooperation to Washington. He switched parties, joined Mr. Bushs political brain trust and dedicated the next six years to getting him to the Oval Office and keeping him there. In 2004, he was appointed the presidents chief campaign strategist.
Looking back, Mr. Dowd now says his faith in Mr. Bush was misplaced.
In a wide-ranging interview here, Mr. Dowd called for a withdrawal from Iraq and expressed his disappointment in Mr. Bushs leadership.
He criticized the president as failing to call the nation to a shared sense of sacrifice at a time of war, failing to reach across the political divide to build consensus and ignoring the will of the people on Iraq. He said he believed the president had not moved aggressively enough to hold anyone accountable for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and that Mr. Bush still approached governing with a my way or the highway mentality reinforced by a shrinking circle of trusted aides.
I really like him, which is probably why Im so disappointed in things, he said. He added, I think hes become more, in my view, secluded and bubbled in.
In speaking out, Mr. Dowd became the first member of Mr. Bushs inner circle to break so publicly with him.
He said his decision to step forward had not come easily. But, he said, his disappointment in Mr. Bushs presidency is so great that he feels a sense of duty to go public given his role in helping Mr. Bush gain and keep power.
Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled Kerry Was Right, arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq.
Im a big believer that in part what were called to do to me, by God; other people call it karma is to restore balance when things didnt turn out the way they should have, Mr. Dowd said. Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election.
Mr. Dowds journey from true believer to critic in some ways tracks the public arc of Mr. Bushs political fortunes. But it is also an intensely personal story of a political operative who at times, by his account, suppressed his doubts about his professional role but then confronted them as he dealt with loss and sorrow in his own life.
In the last several years, as he has gradually broken his ties with the Bush camp, one of Mr. Dowds premature twin daughters died, he was divorced, and he watched his oldest son prepare for deployment to Iraq as an Army intelligence specialist fluent in Arabic. Mr. Dowd said he had become so disillusioned with the war that he had considered joining street demonstrations against it, but that his continued personal affection for the president had kept him from joining protests whose anti-Bush fervor is so central.
Mr. Dowd, 45, said he hoped in part that by coming forward he would be able to get a message through to a presidential inner sanctum that he views as increasingly isolated. But, he said, he holds out no great hope. He acknowledges that he has not had a conversation with the president.
Dan Bartlett, the White House counselor, said Mr. Dowds criticism is reflective of the national debate over the war.
Its an issue that divides people, Mr. Bartlett said. Even people that supported the president arent immune from having their own feelings and emotions.
http://tinyurl.com/2cymcj
